Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
ATHENS – Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the City of Athens has been named as a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community.
“Congratulations to the City of Athens on earning the Music Friendly Texas Certified Community designation,” Abbott said. “With support from the Texas Music Office, the Texas music industry accounts for more than 196,000 direct and indirect permanent jobs and generates over $31 billion in annual economic activity statewide. Together, we will continue to work alongside communities in every region of our state to create good-paying jobs and boost economic growth.”
The Texas Music Office is a part of the governor’s office which works with communities who are interested in bringing more music to their area by creating a Music Friendly Texas Liaison position in their city government.
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TEXARKANA, Texas (KETK) — A man has died from his injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash on Friday in Texarkana.
According to the Texarkana Police Department, 53-year-old Russell Daily of Arkansas was traveling eastbound on West Seventh Street at a high speed when his motorcycle left the curved roadway past the CPKC Railroad underpass.
Daily struck a metal bench at the T-Line bus stop at Elm Street and was transported to CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital. The police department said he later died from his injuries.
“Traffic investigators determined that excessive speed and the use of a vehicle tire on the motorcycle were the primary contributing factors in this crash,” the police department said. “It was also noted that Mr. Daily was not wearing a helmet.”
The police department urges all drivers to ensure motorcycles are properly equipped and to take precautions while on the road.
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HOUSTON (AP) — Never-before-glimpsed views of the moon’s far side. Check. Total solar eclipse gracing the lunar scene. Check. New distance record for humanity. Check.
With NASA’s lunar comeback a galactic-sized smash thanks to Artemis II, the world is wondering: What’s next? And how do you top that?
“To people all around the world who look up and dream about what is possible, the long wait is over,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said as he introduced Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen at Saturday’s jubilant homecoming celebration.
Now that the first lunar travelers in more than a half-century are safely back in Houston with their families, NASA has Artemis III in its sights.
“The next mission’s right around the corner,” entry flight director Rick Henfling observed following the crew’s Pacific splashdown on Friday.
In a mission recently added to the docket for next year, Artemis III’s yet-to-be -named astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are racing to have their company’s lander ready first.
Musk’s Starship and Bezos’ Blue Moon are vying for the all-important Artemis IV moon landing in 2028. Two astronauts will aim for the south polar region, the preferred location for Isaacman’s envisioned $20 billion to $30 billion moon base. Vast amounts of ice are almost certainly hidden in permanently shadowed craters there — ice that could provide water and rocket fuel.
The docking mechanism for Artemis III’s close-to-home trial run is already at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The latest model Starship is close to launching on a test flight from South Texas, and a scaled-down version of Blue Moon will attempt a lunar landing later this year.
NASA promises to announce the Artemis III crew “soon.” Like 1969’s Apollo 9, Artemis III aims to reduce risk for the moon landings that follow.
Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart loved flying the lunar module in low-Earth orbit — “a test pilot’s dream.” But there’s no question, he noted, that “the real astronauts” at least in the public’s mind were the ones who walked on the moon.
Wiseman and his crew put their passion and feelings on full display as they flew around the moon and back, choking up over lost loved ones as well as those left behind on Earth.
During the their nearly 10-day journey, they tearfully requested that a fresh, bright lunar crater be named after Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020. They also openly shared their love for one another and Planet Earth, an exquisite yet delicate oasis in the black void that they said needs better care.
Artemis II included the first woman, the first person of color and the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon.
“Wonderful communicators, almost poets,” Isaacman said from the recovery ship while awaiting their return.
Apollo’s manly, all-business moon crews of the 1960s and 1970s certainly did not do group hugs.
For those old enough to remember Apollo, Artemis — Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology — couldn’t come fast enough.
Author Andy Chaikin said he felt like Rip Van Winkle awakening from a nearly 54-year nap. His 1994 biography “A Man on the Moon” led to the HBO miniseries “From the Earth to the Moon.”
“It’s amazing how far we’ve come and how different this experience is from back then,” Chaikin said from Johnson Space Center late last week.
The hardest part, according to NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, is becoming so close to the crews and their families and then blasting them to the moon. He anxiously monitored Friday’s reentry alongside the astronauts’ spouses and children.
“You know what’s at stake,” Kshatriya confided afterward. “It’s going to take risk to explore, but you have to make sure you find the right line between being paralyzed by it and being able to manage it.”
Calling it “mission complete” only after being reunited with his two daughters, Wiseman issued a rallying cry to the rows of blue-flight-suited astronauts at Saturday’s celebration.
“It is time to go and be ready,” he said, pointing at them, “because it takes courage. It takes determination, and you all are freaking going and we are going to be standing there supporting you every single step of the way in every possible way possible.”
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MOUNT PLEASANT – CHRISTUS Health is proud to announce the opening of a new multi-specialty clinic in Mount Pleasant designed to expand access to high-quality, personalized care for the community. CHRISTUS Health held an event Friday to bless the new clinic, which opens to patients Monday, April 13.
Spanning 22,000 square feet and conveniently located alongside the recently opened CHRISTUS Health Mount Pleasant Emergency Center at 130 Tankersley Road, the new clinic creates a centralized hub for health care services in Mount Pleasant.
“The building itself is an incredible testament to the commitment of CHRISTUS Health in the Mount Pleasant community,” said Jennifer Beal, senior vice president and chief administrative officer for CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. “We have the opportunity to provide some amazing providers here in this clinic and we are excited to bring those specialties, along with building primary care in the community.”
The facility includes 36 exam rooms, an on-site laboratory and imaging services, allowing patients to receive comprehensive care without having to travel elsewhere. Specialties housed within the clinic include primary care, physical therapy, pulmonology, cardiology, electrophysiology and gastroenterology.
The clinic is designed with patient comfort and convenience in mind, reflecting CHRISTUS Health’s mission to deliver personalized care that meets the unique needs of every individual.
“This clinic is a great representation of a lot of people and their hard work and really extends our footprint in the area,” said Dr. Brent Wadle, chief medical officer for CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. “We are keeping care here in Titus County and building on a great primary care foundation by introducing the specialty care people deserve.”
The clinic will be fully integrated with the electronic health record system, EPIC, that allows patient information to be shared securely in real-time across all CHRISTUS Health facilities. This includes access to MyChart, a free app that allows patients to manage their health, schedule appointments, access on-demand care, request prescription refills, review medical records and exchange secure messages with their providers.
The clinic follows the opening of the CHRISTUS Health Mount Pleasant Emergency Care Center, which has provided emergency care to more than 1,100 patients since February.
MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department Special Response Team (SRT) and the Harrison County Special Response Team executed a search warrant at East Houston Street and Fairfield Avenue. The warrant was obtained by the Joint Harrison County Violent Crimes & Narcotics Task Force following an investigation regarding suspected drug-related activity in the neighborhood.
The operation was conducted with assistance from federal law enforcement partners, including
the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as part of a
broader criminal enterprise and drug trafficking investigation.
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EAST TEXAS – During the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) commission meeting on Thursday, two DPS troopers from East Texas were honored with “Lifesaving Awards” for their heroic actions in 2025. According to our news partner KETK, Trooper James Whitten of Tyler received the Lifesaving Award for taking action while responding to a shooting incident in Smith County on Aug. 6, 2025. Per the DPS, Whitten immediately proceeded to the scene upon hearing about the emergency, recognizing that he was the closest unit. Upon arriving, he noticed the victim’s gunshot wound was actively hemorrhaging with arterial bleeding and applied lifesaving medical aid.
“His prompt intervention effectively controlled the bleeding and preserved the victim’s chance of survival until emergency medical personnel arrived to provide advanced care,” DPS said. “Following the transfer of medical responsibility, Trooper Whitten continued to support Smith Co. Sheriff’s Office deputies by securing the scene and assisting in the collection of evidence vital to the investigation.”
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ODESSA — Texas produced nearly half of all U.S. oil last year despite having drilled fewer new oil wells in 2025, a trend that analysts and industry groups said is possible due to the state’s geological makeup, a network of pipelines and transportation, and the ability to work on multiple production sites in less time.
And that West Texas oil has helped keep U.S. supply steady as oil supply across the world has been squeezed during the Iran war, experts said.
American oil companies produced 13.6 million barrels of oil daily last year, once again breaking their own record, according to a report by the Energy Information Administration. Almost half — 6.6 million barrels a day — came from the Permian Basin, the vast stretch of oil-rich deposits spanning tens of thousands of square miles between western Texas and southeastern New Mexico.
Oil companies accomplished the record with a fraction of available drilling rigs, which the industry historically relied on to search for, find and lift fossil fuels from the ground. The EIA, in its report, said fewer rigs could lead to a 2% drop in production in 2027, marking the first time oil could dip since 2021.
And in light of the U.S. war on Iran, domestic oil production — particularly in West Texas — has taken on a new meaning.
The war pushed gas prices sky high as the global supply of oil has been slashed during the conflict. Texas oil leaders said the situation could have been worse had it not been for their work.
“Without the millions of barrels produced a day in the Permian Basin there’s no question we’d be in much more volatile times,” said Ben Shepperd, president of Permian Basin Petroleum Association, the largest regional trade group in the country. “The strong production coming out of the Permian Basin, however, helps provide a stable source of energy for the United States and our allies, which can reduce volatility when conflicts arise in other parts of the world.”
The report’s findings aren’t a first for Texas oil companies. For at least the past six years, industry groups have announced record production levels. Industry and political leaders alike have celebrated the production as a win for the state’s economy, saying royalties and taxes from the industry translate to billions of dollars for the state’s coffers and school districts.
Texas Oil and Gas Association President Todd Staples said that 10 years ago, oil companies drilled 9.2 million barrels of oil using 1,543 rigs. In 2025, oil companies produced more than 13 million barrels with only 582 rigs.
The agile infrastructure — and geology beneath — affords operators in the Permian to adapt quickly when the market is under duress.
Different layers of rock underground allow operators to extract more fossil fuels at varying depths. Operators can also transit between wells within hours rather than days, drill multiple wells from a single site, or drill in multiple directions and at multiple depths.
“While we are not immune from what’s happening around the world, we occupy a position of strength far beyond most other nations,” Staples said. “The Permian’s … consistently demonstrated ability to adapt quickly to market shifts make it one of the most competitive oil-producing areas in the world.”
Some experts cautioned that declining rig counts, if sustained, could hinder production, if not stop it altogether.
“Depressed rig counts raise legitimate concerns about future production sustainability,” said Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association. “If the trend continues without offset, operators risk slower inventory replacement and a potential plateau or gradual decline in output over the medium term, particularly if new drilling fails to keep pace with natural decline rates in existing wells.”
The conflict in the Middle East has, Longanecker and other experts argued, given oil companies short-term economic windfalls. Gas prices have shot up with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which cut 20% of the world’s oil.
On Tuesday, oil prices soared to at least $114 a barrel prior to the ceasefire.
Experts suggested it could be worse. A mix of experts and groups representing oil companies’ interests in Texas said the U.S. has been insulated from more devastating economic consequences of the war. The amount of oil West Texas produces can determine the severity of the impact to the U.S. economy, they said.
“West Texas serves as a partial counterweight to disruptions in the Middle East,” said Stephen Sagriff, director of intelligence at Enverus, an energy analytics company. “It is also a source of geopolitical leverage for the U.S., a region whose own investment decisions are shaped by the volatility.”
In addition to stabilizing oil demand in the U.S., the Permian lessens its dependence on oil from other nations, said Don Murchison, director of global strategy at RINA North America, an engineering consulting firm. The West Texas oil patch can also produce more oil than other states at a lower cost, Hutchinson said.
“We often see a significant uptick in production in West Texas when there is conflict in other parts of the world,” he said, while adding that when the industry booms, new challenges arise surrounding finding equipment, materials and employees.
For the original copy of this story, go to The Texas Tribune.
MALAKOFF – A months-long investigation came to a close following the seizure of suspected narcotics and the arrest of an illegal drug dealer in Malakoff. According to our news partner KETK, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office investigators executed a search warrant at approximately 3 a.m. on Thursday at a residence at North Smith Street and East Clay Avenue, believed to be where a narcotics trafficker was operating.
There, investigators located digital scales and packaging materials commonly used for distributing illegal narcotics. Large amounts of suspected methamphetamine and crack cocaine were also found in the residence, the sheriff’s office said. Alleged narcotics trafficker Victor Hadnot was arrested on the scene on two counts of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance. He was booked into the Henderson County Jail and awaits arraignment.
PALESTINE – Former Gettysburg, Pa., Mayor Chad-Alan Carr was arrested on Wednesday in Anderson County on two counts of sexual assault and one count of photography/film on a computer depicting sexual acts involving a child. Carr, who is facing multiple felonies connected to alleged child sex crimes, had posted bail after his initial arrest last month, after a man claimed Carr engaged in inappropriate behavior with him online when the victim was a minor.
Pennsylvania State Police filed new charges Wednesday against Carr after three men came forward with new allegations of physical sexual abuse and inappropriate comments, some of which came when the victims were underage.
According to Adams County Sheriff Josh Fitting, on Wednesday afternoon, a warrant was issued for Carr, and it was determined he was in Anderson County, Texas.
The sheriff’s office coordinated with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, which took Carr into custody. Authorities have confirmed they will extradite Carr from Texas. Carr is scheduled to be arraigned on April 16 at the Adams County courthouse. The former mayor resigned just weeks into his first term after learning of the initial investigation.
TYLER – A former Smith County detention officer was arrested on Wednesday night after he was caught in uniform attempting to solicit sex from what he believed to be a prostitute, according to our news partner KETK. The jailer, David Lofton, was the subject of a prostitute sting operation coordinated by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the East Texas Anti-Gang Center.
Officials say, Lofton was communicating with a person he believed to be a prostitute on Thursday. He allegedly told the person that he had cash and they would meet at the Hollywood Theatre after he got off his shift at the Smith County Jail. Lofton, still in uniform, notified the person he believed to be a prostitute of his arrival at the theater. Law enforcement was able to identify Lofton, found he had $1,000 in his possession, and arrested him for solicitation of prostitution.
For the safety and security of Smith County jail inmates, Lofton was transferred to the Gregg County Jail and is being held on a $150,000 bond, Sheriff Larry Smith said.
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HOUSTON (AP) — Lunar love knows no bounds.
Now hurtling home from the moon, the Artemis II astronauts took a poignant page from Apollo 8 earlier this week, proposing deeply personal names for a pair of lunar craters.
Commander Reid Wiseman and his crew asked permission to name one small, fresh crater after their capsule called Integrity and another after his late wife, Carroll. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen made the request right before Monday’s lunar fly-around. Wiseman was too emotional to talk.
Carroll Wiseman, a neonatal nurse, died of cancer in 2020.
During Apollo 8 in 1968, astronaut Jim Lovell bestowed his wife’s name upon a prominent lunar peak: Mount Marilyn. It was humanity’s first trip to the moon and she anxiously awaited his return back home in Houston.
The three Americans and one Canadian of Artemis II are the first lunar visitors since Apollo 17 closed out that grand epoch in 1972, and their crater-naming request temporarily left ground controllers speechless.
“It was definitely a very emotional moment. I don’t think most of us knew it was coming,” NASA lunar scientist Ryan Watkins told The Associated Press on Wednesday from Johnson Space Center in Houston. “There was not a single dry eye.”
Mission Control’s lead scientist Kelsey Young worked with the Artemis II crew before launch, quietly helping them choose the two bright, relatively young craters, which they quickly spied once they were close enough to the moon through zoom lenses as well as their naked eyes.
Proposed Carroll Crater is at the moon’s left limb on the boundary of the moon’s near and far sides, and occasionally visible from Earth. It’s rather shallow and approximately 3 miles (5 kilometers) across, according to Watkins. The slightly bigger Integrity crater is completely on the lunar far side.
Their request came shortly after they broke Apollo 13’s distance record for deep-space travelers. All four astronauts wept as they embraced in a group hug.
“We lost a loved one. Her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie,” Hansen radioed, his voice breaking. “It’s a bright spot on the moon and we would like to call it Carroll.”
Mission Control fell silent for nearly a minute before replying: “Integrity and Carroll crater, loud and clear.”
The emotion-drenched scene was vastly different from the 1960s and 1970s Apollo moonshots in more ways than one. NASA’s Apollo all-male test pilots were for the most part all business and tear-free.
“This is no fault of Apollo,” Watkins said. “I think we’re seeing just a more human aspect.”
Once back on Earth later this week, the crew will submit the two proposed names to the International Astronomical Union.
Nearly a half century passed between Apollo 8 and the union’s sign-off of Mount Marilyn in 2017.
The IAU’s Ramasamy Venugopal promised a decision on Carroll and Integrity in about a month, the norm “for straightforward requests.”
There already are 81 astronaut-named lunar features on the group’s approved list, including Apollo 16’s Baby Ray and Gator, and Apollo 17’s Lara named for the lead female character in the 1965 film “Doctor Zhivago.”
Some Apollo-era nicknames didn’t make the cut.
Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan, the last astronaut to walk on the moon, dubbed a split boulder “Tracy’s Rock,” after his young daughter in 1972.
And in 1969, Apollo 12 commander Pete Conrad nicknamed his touchdown spot “Pete’s Parking Lot.”